Flames on the Horizon
by Igilix
Summary: Devion lives in the Island Water Tribe, a chain of islands uncovered by the devastating Rupture. The Island Water Tribe, nature-loving people, are being threatened by the burning Fire Nation. Without an Avatar to guide them, Devion and his friends must save the Island Tribe from being devoured by the Fire Nation, or else watch as their world falls into flames. Please R&R!
1. Introduction

Over the 500 hundred years since the Rupture, when an Avatar-gone-bad nearly destroyed the world, the land of Avatar has changed immensely.

This post-Rupture world is very different from the pre-Rupture world. For example, the only significant places of old that are completely unaffected are Ba Sing Se, the Avatar Temples, the Air Nomad Temples, and the Spirit Grove in the Northern Water Tribe.

All the islands that surrounded that island the Northern Air Temple is located on crumbled and sunk during the Rupture, leaving a free standing mountainous island and clearing space in the ocean. More than half of the island the temple was on also fell into the watery depths. The Air Nomads have expanded the Northern Air Temple, tripling the size. The same has occurred throughout the rest of the Air Temples.

Ba Sing Se, being the impenetrable city, still managed to survive during the Rupture, even though half of the Lower Ring, most of the Middle Ring, and the Royal Palace were destroyed. They persevered and have made the city larger, grander, and better defended for Rupture like events. Much of the rest of the Earth Kingdom was destroyed, but they managed to recreate their towns and cities. Half of Omashu slid into the abyss it is surrounded by. However, the king of Omashu survived and began to construct a better city that was supported by stone beams going from the city across the abyss to the mainland, reinforcing the island it was on. The peninsula on which Wulong Forest was located shattered, crumbling into several small islands. The rest of the Earth Kingdom is still rebuilding after the devastating Rupture.

Most of the Fire Nation sunk during the apocalypse, but the main island survived, though it shifted south one hundred miles, and a whole different archipelago arose from the ocean, extending further south and southeast instead of east. Several more islands rose to the east, forming a sort of barrier around the main island. The Fire Nation grew larger and the land was more fertile and inhabitable than before.

The northern ocean froze during the Rupture, and afterwards earth rose from the ocean floor. Fires melted the ice of the eastern Northern Water Tribe, and caused half the island to be lost in the waves. But the new land extended the tribe westward, allowing for a new chance to recreate what they had lost. Down south, the whole continent shifted west as another, smaller continent budged up from the ocean. The tribe doubled its size and claimed the island for itself.

So, I hope you have a better picture of what the world looks like, and I hope you enjoy the story.


	2. Prologue

The man stepped out of the trees and onto the open grass. He grabbed his son's hand and led him over to the cliff top. Gently and carefully, the man helped his son sit down and then lowered himself to the grass, his legs dangling over the top.

Wind buffeted their hair, rippling their clothes. The wind carried with it a warm breeze, creating an aura of serenity around the father and son.

His dark blue eyes stared out at the ocean, looking at miles upon miles of flowing water. Nothing but the ocean and the setting sun could be seen. A smile touched the man's lips. The beauty and tranquility of the view was something the man cherished.

He snapped out of his thoughts when his son tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, looking up at him with bright blue eyes full of wonder and curiosity.

"Daddy, why'd you bring me here?" he asked slowly and curiously.

"So you can look out over the ocean," replied the man kindly.

"But why do you want me to look at the ocean?"

"Son, cherish this view," replied the boy's father. "Before it's all taken away."

The boy cocked his head, bewildered. "Why would the ocean be taken away?"

The man placed his hand on his son's shoulder and turned to face him. "Because they will come, and they will destroy this beautiful place," he explained, gesturing to the forest and sea around the duo.

"They? Who's they?" The boy's eyebrows were furrowed and his bottom lip was slightly tucked under his top lip.

"The ones who destroy. The ones who defile. The ones who _burn._"

The explanation clearly did not help the boy, for he frowned and scratched his head. "Daddy, I don't understand."

"They are evil people who want to take all this nature away from us," replied his father. "So appreciate what you have while it still lasts." By now, his smile had faded and he was staring solemnly out at the sparkling blue water reflecting the orange and golden rays from the sun.

The man shifted where he was sitting and sighed quietly. "Because I can guarantee you, they will come."

The little boy blinked. "When will they come?"

Swallowing, the boy's father pointed out to the horizon. "Sometimes, if you look closely enough, you can see it. You can see them." He paused and looked at his son, who was staring out to where the sky and water met. "They're always there. Watching. Waiting."

"How do you know?" asked the little boy.

"Because you can see them. Look closely, boy."

His son squinted his eyes and craned his neck forward. "I don't know what I'm looking for. What can I see?"

The man scratched his chin and inhaled deeply. "Flames. Flames on the horizon."


	3. The Summer Solstice

Devion hit the wave and flew up into the air, droplets of water spraying around him. He grinned widely as he splashed down back onto the surface, the sunlight sparkling on the water. Tilting his weight to one side, the long board of ice arced and turned around, sending Devion speeding towards the shore.

Nearly three dozen people stood on the white beach, watching gleefully as the four teenagers surfed through the bay on their ice boards. They clapped and cheered and jumped up and down whenever one of the surfers pulled off something interesting.

Seeing a wave nearby swelling up, Devion extended his arms and gracefully flicked them upwards with squeezing his fingers together. A smooth loop of ice shot up from the water, gleaming in the sun. Devion directed his board towards it. Speeding along the water, he zoomed onto the ice and grabbed onto the rims of the board as it flipped with the ice and then propelled Devion forward.

The waterbender turned the board over in midair and hit the water roughly, almost flying off the board. Luckily, no one on the beach saw and he grinned even wider as he heard the spectators on the beach start to go crazy with applause and cheers.

A burst of water flew up from the bay surface and splashed onto Devion. He shook the water off his face and turned to see one of the other surfers, Makanui, coming up beside him.

"Quite a stunt you pulled off right there," he said with a wicked grin on his face.

"Thanks!" replied Devion, feigning gratitude. "You know, it was really cool when you slipped off your board on that wave."

That wiped the smirk off of Makanui's face. "Are you challenging me?" he asked.

Devion shrugged. "Did I ever say I was?" he replied nonchalantly.

"Have it your way."

Makanui threw his arms back and shot himself forward. Moving his arms in undulating motions, a large wave quickly rising up about seventy feet in front of them. It grew larger and larger until it was about ten feet high. Makanui flashed a smug look at Devion and then rode forward. Just as the wave was beginning to curl, he surfed up the wall of water and flew into the air, spinning his board three times before coming back down on the water. The people on the beach cheered loudly, interested in the spectacle.

Sighing loudly, Devion raced forward and slid under the curve of the wave, riding at the same speed of the crashing wave. Quickly, he spun around and jumped the board into the air, forming a hole in the roof of water with his arms and shooting up into the open air. He landed down on the top of the wave but slid down the front and slipping off the board so leg sunk into the water. The spectators cheered, but not quite as loudly as they did for Makanui.

A loud round of laughter came from Makanui, who was lazily surfing about twenty feet away, bobbing up and down at the force of the wave. "Nice one, Dev," he hissed.

Narrowing his eyes, Devion slowed down his board and hopped back onto the slab of ice. He moved himself forward with a few swipes of his arms and started to speed forward, preparing to create a large wave. But as he raised his arms to begin bending, a tall pillar of ice rose in front of him.

Although Makanui was trying to make Devion crash, Devion already had his arms raised, so he was at an advantage. He shot out his arms and raised them into the air while swirling his hands. A ramp of water bobbed in front of him and his board hit it as he threw his arms down. The water surged up and Devion flew towards the top of the ice pillar. He skimmed the top with his board and spun off it before coming back down to the water.

The people on the beach started to applaud loudly and the other two waterbenders who had been surfing were now sitting on their boards, drifting with the tide of the bay. Devion smiled back at Makanui. "Thanks for the help!" he called.

Before he could respond, Devion spun around and began to swirl his arms over his head. The water ahead began to shift and turn as a large slope of ice rose from the water. He set off towards the ice at a fast speed, but out of the corner of his eye he caught Makanui racing behind him.

Speeding up a bit, Devion's board skated onto the ice and he soared off of the incline and shot his arms up with spinning his hands in a circle. A stream of water rose from the bay and parted in the center, serving as a giant tube.

Smiling slyly, Devion crouched down and entered the tube of water. The sun streamed in through the rushing water, creating a rippling effect of blue light. His heart started to race as his bending lost force and the tube was collapsing behind him, threatening to ruin his trick.

But the next moment, he shot out of the tube just as the last of it tumbled back towards the sea and sped through the air before coming back down onto the water.

The crowd on the beach went ballistic and started to hop up and down, screaming, clapping, and pumping their arms in the air. Devion raised his arms triumphantly and swerved back around to see Makanui glaring at him as he swam back to his board a few feet away.

"Looks like I beat you," Devion said good-naturedly.

"Maybe this time," replied Makanui angrily as he clambered back onto his board.

Devion shrugged and turned his board back around. The tide carried it towards the shore. Devion released the energy he had been using to keep the board from melting and then dove into the water as the ice started to drip into water. He swam the remaining distance and then stepped onto the beach as many of the spectators crowded around him.

"Nice job, Dev!" someone cried.

"Great surfing," said someone else, patting Devion on the back.

Smiling and kindly thanking everyone who praised him, Devion pushed through the crowd and walked over to his best friend, Kialuk, who was standing a little bit away from everyone else underneath a large palm tree.

"That was some pretty cool stuff," he commented.

Devion flashed him a smile. "Thanks," he replied, turning back and looking over as Makanui and his usual gang of six or seven friends walked up to him. They started talking to Makanui, turning around and glancing at Devion every couple of seconds. Makanui, however, never took his narrowed gaze off of his nemesis. "Although, Makanui doesn't look to happy," he added, facing Kialuk.

"Way to surf, Devion!" called a girl somewhere on the beach.

Kialuk smiled and gave Devion a nudge on the side. Curious, Devion turned around and gasped silently. Nani, the most beautiful girl in the whole town of Kiolu, was walking by him with some of her friends, grinning at him.

"T-Thanks," he stuttered, watching her go by as she set off on the path towards the town. Her long, dark brown hair swung behind her, shiny and smooth as it always was. Her skin was deep brown, sun-kissed, and flawless. The way she moved was perfect and beautiful, just like she was. Devion's hungry blue eyes followed her all the way until the other people streaming off the beach blocked his view of her.

"Looks like somebody's got a crush," a voice said jokingly. Waipae, another one of Devion's good friends, walked up behind him and Kialuk. He placed his arm around Devion and smiled. "I can't blame you though," he said. "Nani's pretty hot."

"Get off me," mumbled Devion, his cheeks red while he pushed his friend away.

"Anyway, those tricks you did out there were sweet!" Waipe exclaimed.

"Yeah," agreed Kialuk. "That was some pretty impressive bending." Although the comment was honest, Devion could hear a hint of jealousy in Kialuk's voice. Skinny and short, Kialuk had never had much bending prowess.

They walked up the sandy path lined with palm trees towards Kiolu with all the other people who had been relaxing on the beautiful beach. Up ahead he could see the town. Kiolu wasn't anything grand; it was a collection of a few hundred modest, three- or four-room houses made of wood with thatched roofs. In the center of the town there was a large square with a fountain in the middle and there was a large town hall (although it was still made of wood).

The grandest building in the town of Kiolu was the manor house that sat above the bay. Where Kiolu was located was on flat land, but as the bay grew wider, the land sloped up. The manor laid nearly two hundred feet above the mouth of the bay. It was a beautiful stone building that highly resembled the ancient temples that lay within the jungles east of Kiolu.

Kiolu was a charming and peaceful place, which was highly unusual since it was the capital of the tribe. Nearly two thousand residents lived there, the most populous town in the whole tribe.

They strode into the plaza right at the front of the town, overlooking the beach through the scattered palm trees that separated the town from the shore.

"So are you guys going to the party tonight?" asked Waipae as they navigated through the large crowd.

"Of course," replied Devion. "It's the Summer Solstice. Why _wouldn't _we go to the party?"

Waipae shook his head. "No, I'm not talking about the festivities this evening, I'm talking about the party. Out on the cliff top."

"There's a party on the cliff?" Kialuk asked.

Nodding Waipae said, "Everyone's going to be there. You guys should go. It'll be a bit after sundown, so after an hour or so of the regular celebration, head up to the south cliff. Some of us are going up early to set up, but just be there."

"Okay, we will," said Kialuk as they reached a three-way split in the main street of Kiolu.

"See you guys tonight," Devion called, turning left as Waipae continued straight and Kialuk went right.

His friends waved at him and he turned around a corner, heading towards his home to get ready for the upcoming night.

Θ Θ Θ

The sun was sinking in the sky, illuminating the bay with beautiful hues. The water appeared to be liquid gold while the rock cliffs reflected dazzling orange sunlight. Devion walked down onto the beach, staring at the magnificent sunset. It was perfect for the beginning of the Summer Solstice celebration.

The soft beach was already packed with citizens. Most of them would be attending the opening of the celebration, although some would be traveling to other islands or towns in the tribe for their own celebration.

Devion's mother, Laona, walked beside him in her yellow and white skirt and a loose white shirt billowing in the nice breeze. She was in her late thirties, although she looked as if she just turned thirty years old. Her face was tan and kind, the skin slightly weathered from the days she had spent traveling the islands. Devion assumed she must have been rather pretty when she was a girl, for there were still remnants of beauty in her sweet face.

"Hey, Mom," said Devion. "Tonight, a little bit after the celebration, there's a party up on the cliff top. Can I go?"

"I guess so," she replied quietly. "But it's the summer solstice. Don't you want to be down here for the celebration?"

"Mom, I'm seventeen," her son remarked. "I need to go to some parties."

Laona sighed. "Just be safe and don't do anything stupid," she muttered, putting her arm around Devion.

They walked onto the beach and joined standing in the crowd that was facing the rocks to the right. About three-fourths of the way down the beach, a large pile of boulders and rocks blocked the rest of the beach. On the other side of the rocks was the harbor, a collection of ten or so wooden docks extending from the rocky shore, several boats moored up against them. Traders and merchants from around the world often came through Kiolu to stay a few nights, although they mostly would dock at the towns on the outer islands.

For a while, Devion and Laona waited around as more people flowed onto the beach. They talked to each other about past festivals, comparing them and deciding which one was the best. Their conversation then drifted on to discussing what they thought might go on during the upcoming festival.

Finally, a voice came from the top of the rocks and everyone in the crowd fell silent. There stood a tall, muscular man with long, black hair wearing yellow and white clothing with blue trim. Chief Moi, the loyal and powerful ruler of the Island Water Tribe.

His voice deep and smooth, he began to talk. "We gather here today to honor the Summer Solstice and the return of summer to these beautiful islands, the jewels of the Mo Ce Sea.

"For five hundred years, ever since the great Water Tribe explorers settled on these islands, we have assembled together to celebrate the longest day of the year. It is a happy and magnificent day, something given to us by the great spirit Lakula, guardian of the Island Water Tribe.

"The Northern and Southern Water Tribes have always used the moon to draw the power we must need for waterbending," continued Chief Moi. "But our ways are different. Yes, we are powerful during the full moon, but we are most powerful in the evening, when the setting sun warms our chi and allows us to control the warm waters of the islands.

"So tonight, we gather to display our skills with bending, meet with our friends, and celebrate the existence of our beautiful land. Ladies and gentlemen, Happy Solstice Day!"

A loud chorus of cheers rose from the gathered civilians. Chief Moi jumped down from the rocks and everyone started to drift around, grabbing fruit drinks from the tables along the beach.

Devion looked around with a smile on his face at the happy, joyful, and smiling people. The Summer Solstice was always one of the most fun holidays in the year, and also the craziest, he remembered as a young started to climb up a palm tree towards a bunch of coconuts.

The party had begun.


	4. The Stranger

Tiki dancers moved to the beat of the drums, spinning wooden staffs with burning ends through the air, illuminating the platform they were on in the fading light. Below the platform, nearly a dozen pretty girls in grass skirts and coconut bikinis swayed flowingly, their hands controlling small streams of water gracefully and beautifully.

Devion leaned against the trunk of a palm tree, holding a wooden cup filled to the brim with sweet mangorange juice. He watched the flaming staffs twirl and spin through the night. It was quite an amazing thing. The tiki dancers had to focus intensely to make sure they didn't drop the burning staves. He grinned while picturing a comical scene in which one of the tiki dancers drops his stick and sets fire to a hula girl's head.

Kialuk walked up beside Devion, holding a wooden cup in his hand. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Devion replied, a smile still on his face. "Just thinking about what would happen if one of the tiki dancers dropped his staff."

Devion's best friend shook his head. "Let me guess, you were laughing at the thought of one of the hula girls running around with her hair on fire?"

Scoffing, Devion nodded. "Pretty much."

Kialuk continued to shake his head, but kept on laughing. He took a sip of his mangorange juice and then turned around at the sound of joyful shrieks. Devion also turned his head in the direction of the noise and watched as nearly a dozen young children ran out of the palm trees being chased by three men wearing tiki masks over their heads. People around the beach started to laugh and point at the men and children.

A few moments later, a yell from down by the water dragged everyone's attention away. Five men and two women about thirty years old stood on a large block of ice. They all were crouched in a bending stance and began to flow their arms and bodies fluently. Each of the waterbenders drew a long stream of water out of the sea beside them and began to spin the water above their heads.

One of the waterbenders in the back brought his hands over his head and then pushed them forward. A large ball of water flew from the bay and hovered above the other six waterbenders. Each of them twirled their streams of water above their heads and then around their waists before dipping them down below the ice block they were standing on. A moment later, they shot their streams back up.

Devion's eyes widened as he saw the faint lights glowing in the dark blue water. The benders moved their water into the large ball floating above them and the tiny lights floated into the massive orb. All the waterbenders raised their arms pushed them upwards. The ball soared into the sky, hovering nearly a hundred feet over the beach, sparkling in the night sky.

All at once, the seven waterbenders waved their arms around their heads and then shot their arms outward. Devion looked up at the sky and watched as the water burst, sending droplets of water and sparkling lights tumbling down to the beach.

The effect was beautiful. Firelight reflected off of the sparkling specks showering down in the sky. Water sprinkled down between the specks, glowing in the orange light. The citizens of Kiolu stared up in wonder. It seemed almost as if the stars were raining down from the sky and onto the sand beside the ocean. Everyone on the beach was entranced, enchanted. Even the drummers and dancers had fallen still and looked upon the spectacle with wonder.

When the specks reached the silent crowd, the children began to jump up and reach for the sparkling flecks with the adults and older kids turned towards the waterbenders and started to cheer. The faces of the seven performers turned from tranquility to elation at the response from the citizens.

"That was beautiful, wasn't it?" whispered Laona, putting her arm around Devion.

Devion nodded in agreement. "Definitely magical."

The whole performance had seemed to cast a spell of serenity over the celebrating men and women. They moved about with smiles on their faces, talking happily and joyfully but calmly as the dancers started to move and the drummers started to play.

"Devion, look," Kialuk murmured, pointing up towards the south cliff.

At the very tip of the escarpment, bright lights were starting to flash on and off, almost like a signal. It took Devion a moment to realize what it was, but before he could say anything, Kialuk spoke.

"It's time for the party."

Quickly telling his mother goodbye, Kialuk and Devion rushed forward towards the road that winded up the cliff. Other kids their age had seen the sign and were starting to flow onto the path that would take them to the celebration.

Devion looked over at Kialuk and noticed that his friend looked a little bit stressed, almost as if he was trying to say something but wouldn't or couldn't say it. Raising an eyebrow, Devion said, "Kialuk, is something wrong?"

"What? Oh. Oh, no, everything's fine…" replied Kialuk, taken aback a bit by the question.

Devion shrugged to himself, skeptical about Kialuk's response. Just the way his best friend had answered hinted that something was bugging Kialuk.

The walk up to the cliff top was a little less than a mile and took Devion and Kialuk about ten minutes. They followed a winding path up the top of the cliff, twisting around the tall palm trees and sprawling fig trees. Small huts and shacks could be seen built deeper in the forest or closer to the edge of the cliff. Once they reached the end of the path, they walked out into a large, open space looking out over the silver, moonlight ocean.

Dim lights hung from the trees on two sides of the large expanse. In the center was a table filled with bowls of drinks and snack foods such as various fruits, a few pastries, and some fried squid.

Already, nearly two dozen teenagers Devion recognized were standing around the clearing. Aged sixteen to twenty, he figured about thirty or thirty-five more people would arrive in the next half hour.

"Hey, Devion, Kialuk!" cried Waipae, walking over to them with a wooden cup filled with some sort of drink in his hands. "Welcome to the party!"

"Thanks," replied Devion. "So how's it going so far?"

Waipae looked around and nodded. "It's pretty slow right now, but once more people get here, it'll start getting fun!" He took a swig of his drink and then clapped Kialuk on the shoulder. "I'll see you guys around," he added, swaying over to a group of girls that just arrived.

"What's up with him?" asked Kialuk, grimacing.

"I don't know," Devion said with a shrug, although he had his suspicions about what Waipae was drinking.

Drums started to play loudly from one side of the cliff top, a fast and rhythmic beat. Devion wandered over to the table with the drinks and scooped himself a cup of what smelled the most fruity and normal.

He took a sip of the drink and decided it tasted like regular mangorange juice and looked around at the party. People were flooding into the clearing and within five minutes there were nearly sixty or so people moving around and dancing on the cliff top.

"Isn't there a hazard that someone will fall off the cliff?" asked Kialuk, stepping up beside Devion.

Shrugging, Devion looked around and noticed several people dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. He raised his eyebrows and turned back to Kialuk. "Let's hope no one falls."

Kialuk chuckled and glanced over at the people standing near the precipice. "That would be quite unfortunate."

Scanning the party, Devion spotted Nani walking into the clearing with a few of her friends. Her dark chocolate brown hair fell wavy and smoothly down her back. She was wearing a yellow, red, and white dress that looked absolutely beautiful with her tan skin. A wooden, beaded necklace with the Island Water Tribe symbol on it sat around her neck.

The symbol was a crude palm tree with a simple wave towering over it, the rising moon visible behind the wave and tree. It represented the tropical setting of the island, the water in which many of the inhabitants bend, and the power from the moon they need in order to control the graceful element.

Devion nudged Kialuk with his elbow. "Nani's here," he muttered.

"What do you expect me to do?" replied Kialuk sharply. "I have the social skills of a rock when it comes to girls."

With a wince, Devion looked at Kialuk. He was a bit taken aback by his best friend's response. Kialuk usually wasn't cold. Something was definitely wrong, and Devion needed to talk to Kialuk in private soon.

"I'll just go pretend to run into her and then start talking to her," grumbled Devion, slinking away into the crowd. He slipped between partygoers, occasionally saying greetings to some of the people he knew well, all the while craning his neck to make sure he could still see Nani. After less than a minute, he stood behind a group of tipsy girls fifteen feet from Nani as she chatted with her friends.

Casually, Devion held his cup high in his hand and walked backwards towards Nani, smiling and looking around at the party. Bracing himself, even though he knew it wouldn't just be a bump; Devion took the final steps and then hit Nani's neck lightly with his shoulders.

"Woah!" yelped Nani, surprise in her voice as she jumped and spun around.

"I'm sorry," said Devion, also turning around. "I didn't see you there."

Nani looked up at Devion and the surprise in her eyes faded away. "Oh, hey there Devion!"

Feigning shock at the coincidence of them bumping into each other, Devion grinned widely. "Hello, Nani!" he exclaimed over the noise of the drummers.

"Isn't this party great?" she asked, looking around with wide eyes.

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome," agreed Devion. "I wouldn't think a bunch of teenagers would be able to set up a party this nice."

"Me too," chuckled Nani. "Great surfing today, again. It was really cool. I wish I could do that." She shrugged. "But, I'm not a bender."

"That's okay, if you aren't a bender," Devion told her. "I'm pretty sure on one of the eastern islands there's a school that teaches nonbenders how to surf."

"Maybe I'll have to go there," Nani said with a smile. After a short pause, she tilted her neck to the left and said, "Hey, Kialuk!"

"Hi, Nani," he replied tersely. Kialuk placed his hand on Devion's shoulder. "Can I talk to you?" His voice was tense and his eyes looked a little worried, almost sad.

"Umm, yeah, sure," Devion responded, throwing an annoyed look towards his best friend. Kialuk ignored him and Devion grew a bit frustrated. "I'll be back in a little bit," he told her, looking at Nani.

"Okay," she said cheerily.

Kialuk turned away and started to push through the crowd with Devion right behind him. Annoyed, Devion followed only because he was a good friend. They entered the forest and darkness soon surrounded them.

They walked in silence through the forest. Devion was itching to speak, to ask Kialuk what he wanted to talk about so he could get back to the party, but he didn't really know how to do it without sounding rude.

After about three minutes, they reached the edge of the cliff where two jagged rocks stood as a natural gateway to a narrow but safe path down the cliff side. It led to a small, private beach that Devion had only been to a few times before. Not many people knew about it, and the only way to get there was by this path. Due to the rocks surrounding the beach and the waves that crashed on the rocks tumbled onto the beach, making it extremely dangerous to swim or sail a boat to.

Finally deciding to break the silence, Devion said, "So what do you want to talk about?"

Kialuk scratched his head and sighed as they walked down the twisting path. "We're moving."

Devion's heart dropped and his voice became stuck in his throat. He couldn't believe it….his best friend was going to be moving away from him. For seventeen years, they'd known each other. Kialuk was the brother Devion never had. To think he was moving away made Devion want to tear something in half. He'd be lost without Kialuk, his smart, dorky, and kind friend.

"T-To o-one of…of the outer islands?" he asked as soon as he could, staring at the narrow earth beneath his feet. "That's no-not too b-bad. We can visit you every week. It's only a few hours away." A ray of hope beamed in his chest as he realized he would still be able to see Kialuk often.

But then Kialuk shook his head. "No, Devion," he replied, his voice eerily calm. "My father wants to return to where he grew up. He wants us to move to the North Pole."

If it were possible, Devion's heart dropped even lower than it already was. The North Pole was days, weeks away from the Island Tribe. It would take Devion more than fourteen days to travel there, and another fourteen days back. To visit there would mean being gone for nearly two months, something he wouldn't be able to do. All words escaped him. There was nothing he could think to say.

Then there was a splash down on the beach about fifty feet away. The sound was different than the usual lapping of the waves against the shore or the crashing onto the rocks. It sounded like a human was in the water, struggling to stay afloat.

With just a moment of eye contact, Devion and Kialuk sprinted down the path and jumped off it, landing softly on the sand. The thing in the water splashed again and they looked around for a body.

"Over there!" exclaimed Kialuk, pointing a few yards down the beach.

Devion shot towards where he saw the unmistakable outline of a human body and skidded to a stop, coming down to his knees on the damp sand. He placed his hands on the man's shredded shirt and dragged him out of the water, setting him down on the sand.

The man looked terrible, as if he had been at sea for well over a day. His clothes were waterlogged, his hair plastered to his skin shiny from the water. Scratches covered his face and chest and there was a nasty looking burn mark on his chest. A large purple and yellow bruise covered an entire side of his neck and the man's right arm was bent at an awkward angle.

"What should we do?" shouted Kialuk, panic in his eyes.

Devion blinked. He couldn't think of how to respond. What was this man doing in the ocean? Why was he injured with scratches and burns? How did he survive the perilous rocks that blocked this beach from the rest of the bay? Just before he could think of any more questions, the man's gray eyes flew up and he shot up from his prone position, coughing and spluttering water all over himself.

"They're coming," he rasped, his voice ragged and his breath heavy. "The Fire Nation."


	5. Patient Silence

Devion's eyes widened as the man's torso collapsed back onto the sand, his eyelids sliding shut. He shot a confused, terrified glance up at Kialuk, who was standing over the man, his jaw hanging open.

"We-we need to get some help," he spat out, shaking his head once.

Nodding rapidly, Devion racked his minds for the nearest house or farm that could help this man, or else he would soon die. And from what the stranger just said, they couldn't afford to have him die.

Suddenly, a location popped into his head. "The Air Nomads!" he exclaimed.

"Yes," muttered Kialuk. "They have their camp just a little bit into the forest above here. Let's hurry!"

Devion slid over to the man's feet and grabbed them while Kialuk picked him up by the arms. They started up the path, moving slowly and cautiously to prevent them from slipping and harming themselves and this injured stranger. Devion felt a little uneasy about approaching the Air Nomads. The local attitude towards them was not positive. Most of the islanders looked upon them with annoyance seeing as how the Air Nomads treated them like they were primeval tribesmen incapable of coping with the rest of the world.

They were partly right, but mostly wrong. The Island Tribe, as well as the other two tribes, had turned down the modern cultures that were practiced in the other nations, including the steam punk ways of the Fire Nation. But the Water Tribes were intent on keeping the planet beautiful and clean, much unlike the burning, polluted Fire Nation. However, the Air Nomad "missionaries" wanted to make the Island Tribe more modern and contemporary, something the citizens strongly rebuked.

His doubts about receiving help from the Air Nomads faded away when he thought more about the ways of the monks and however much they disapproved of the tribal ways of the Island Tribes, they wouldn't turn down an injured man in need of help. The Air Nomads were healers, helpers, and religious folk, not protestors and militant-like people.

It took them nearly five minutes to carry the man up the cliff and when they reached the top, they gently set him down and hunched over, huffing and puffing as they rubbed out their sore muscles. The man was fairly tall, but certainly a heavy man. His apparently strong muscles added much weight to him, making it much more difficult to carry him up a cliff.

"Let's go," said Kialuk urgently. "We have to get him to help."

Grabbing the man's limbs, Devion and Kialuk heaved him back up and began to navigate through the forest as quickly as they could with a man swinging like a hammock in between them.

The jungle was dark and crowded, another obstacle that prevented them from getting to the Air Nomads quickly. They had to move slowly in order to weave through the trees without hitting them or tripping over roots.

Devion turned his head around and could see the faint glow of candlelight coming through the trees. "Come on," he said to Kialuk. "We're almost there."

After well over five minutes of walking through the thick jungle, Devion and Kialuk stumbled into the clearing occupied by a small wooden hut and five or six canvas tents. Almost a dozen men and women dressed in the orange and yellow robes of the Air Nomads were sitting around a ring of candles, their legs folded and their arms resting on their legs.

"Help!" cried Devion, setting down the man. "We need your help!"

The eldest man, who looked to be about fifty, opened his eyes and glared at Devion and Kialuk. "Can't you see we are meditating here?" he spat impatiently.

"This man needs your help!" Kialuk said loudly. "Look, we're sorry for disturbing your quite time, but we have an injured, half-drowned man that we just carried up from the beach! Please help us!"

One of the women looked at the old man. "Come on, Yuchan. This man needs our help."

The woman stood up, quickly followed by two men and another woman. They all flocked towards where Devion and Kialuk stood, their hearts racing and sweat dripping down their bodies. One of the men looked at the two of them while everyone else crouched down and started to look at the man.

"Who is this?" he asked calmly.

Kialuk shrugged. "He was floating in the waves on the little beach just below the cliff that way," he told them, pointing in the direction they just came from.

The Air Nomad nodded and joined his companions in inspecting the man's body. Devion hopped from one foot to the other, anxious and silently pleading for the nomads to hurry up and start healing him.

Yuchan stood up from his spot around the candles and strode over to where the man was lying on the ground, his chest barely moving up and down as he breathed quietly. Whipping his head around, he pointed at two younger-looking Nomads. "You, go get the medical supplies," he ordered. Then he turned his gaze towards a boy who looked to be about fifteen. "Kayun, go and make the bed beside the kitchen in the hut. Hurry now!"

The boy nodded and then darted into the wooden building, slamming the door shut behind him while all the other nomads stood and looked at each other, talking quietly. Yuchan faced Devion and Kialuk and pointed at the two of them. "You, stay here," he told Kialuk. "You, go and get Moi!" He stared at Devion, his light gray eyes alert and slightly unnerved.

"W-who?" stuttered Devion, barely processing the man's words.

"Chief Moi!" exclaimed Yuchan angrily. "Hurry!"

"Right!" replied Devion loudly, turning around and shooting out of the clearing.

Branches and leaves whipped at his face as he sprinted through the jungle, hopping over rocks and tree roots until he found the path leading back to Kiolu. He skidded and turned his momentum, darting down the dirt road as dust clouds flew up behind his feet. Running as fast as he could, Devion felt as if he were racing at the speed of an airbender. The wind buffeted his face and swirled around him as he made his way toward Kiolu.

Less than three minutes later, Devion stormed onto the beach only to find the party still in full swing. Even the little children were up and about and it was well after midnight. Apprehensively, Devion slid through the crowd, pushing and shoving past people without even saying anything to them. His mother was talking with a few other women from the town and she smiled and waved at him.

"Hey, Devion. What are you doing back so early?"

"I can't talk now, Mom," he responded tersely, pushing past a few twelve year olds and moving towards where he spotted Chief Moi drinking out of a wooden cup, talking animatedly with the captain of the Kiolu warriors and a rich merchant from one of the outer islands.

Devion strode into the middle of their conversation without even announcing his presence. The captain threw him an angry glance and the merchant looked rather repulsed, but he paid no attention to them. Instead, he just made direct eye contact with Chief Moi.

"Excuse me, Chief," he said quickly. "We need you up at the Air Nomad camp."

The chief's handsome, broad face had a confused expression on it. "Why?" he asked, bewildered.

"Someone washed up on the small southern beach," Devion explained. "He said something about the Fire Nation, and Kialuk and I took him to the Air Nomads, since they were closest."

"Who is this man?" asked Chief Moi, looking at the captain and the merchant.

Devion shrugged. "We don't know, sir," he told the chief. "But he's seriously injured and Yuchan requested you."

Nervousness flashing in his eyes, Chief Moi nodded. "Show me the way," he ordered his voice authoritative and strong.

Nodding, Devion turned around and pushed his way back through the crowd, Chief Moi right on his heels. Once they got through the party-goers, Devion turned his head back and said, "From here we'll run."

He took off up the narrow dirt path without waiting for Chief Moi to even answer. The chieftain said nothing; he just ran a little bit behind Devion as they raced up the path towards the Air Nomad camp.

They ran at a slower pace than Devion's sprint down the cliff, instead running at a fast jog, but not quite a full out dash. Five minutes after leaving the beach, they ran out of the shadows and into the warmly lit clearing. Devion stopped right at the edge of the trees and placed his hands on his hips, breathing heavily, but Chief Moi just changed his run to a walk and strode up to wear Yuchan stood.

"May I see him?" he asked.

Devion looked around the clearing and noticed that the man and most of the Air Nomads were either in the hut or their tents. A woman was standing beside Yuchan, and Kayun, the young nomad, was lurking in the shadows of the hut. Kialuk moved over beside Devion, but said nothing.

Yuchan shook his head. "We do not want you to interfere with his healing. We shall inform you when he is awake." The eldest monk turned towards Devion and Kialuk and dipped his head. "You two may leave. Anything here now is between Chief Moi and my nomads."

Kialuk nodded once and started to turn back towards the forest, but Devion grabbed his arm and stopped him. "No," he said defiantly. "I want to hear what this man has to say when he wakes up."

The nomad looked annoyed and shook his head. "This is none of your business."

"It's only fair that we get to listen to him," continued Devion, ignoring Yuchan. "After all, we were the ones who found him on the beach." He cast a glance at Kialuk for some help, but the scrawny teen just rolled his eyes.

Again, Yuchan started to shake his head, but then Chief Moi sighed loudly and nodded. "He's right, Yuchan," he muttered. "They were the ones who found this man. Devion came and informed me of him being healed here. The two of them have been through a lot and deserve to hear what he tells us."

Devion nodded his head in thanks towards the chief and then looked back at Yuchan. The monk crossed his arms. "Fine. But you will stay out here by the candles until we tell you he is awake."

All three of them nodded and then sat down in a triangle by the warm candles. Devion extended his legs and stared at the entrance to the hut, while Kialuk sat with his knees against his chest. Chief Moi sat down cross-legged and placed his hands on his knees.

Devion wanted to talk, and he could tell Chief Moi and Kialuk also wanted to speak a little, but none of them could figure out where to start. They were all lost in their thoughts, wondering who the man was and waiting for Yuchan to emerge from the hut.

Although he was trying to distract himself from the fact that Kialuk would be moving to the Northern Water Tribe, Devion's thoughts about the man kept feeding into a stream of thoughts directed towards Kialuk's departure. But whenever his thoughts got off track from the stranger, Devion would force himself to keep thinking of possibilities for why the man washed up on the shore.

The biggest and most probably solution was that the man was on a boat and was attacking by someone or something and the boat was destroyed, causing him to have to drift in the ocean to survive. But who or what attacked his boat, and why? Devion dwelled on these questions, staring into the dancing flames on the candles, trying to keep his eyelids from drooping.

Then, after what seemed like hours, Yuchan stepped out of the wooden structure and stood on the covered porch, quiet noises coming from inside the building.

"Your stranger is awake," he said quietly, beckoning for the three of them to come inside.


	6. A Fleet of Fire

Devion stood up with Chief Moi and Kialuk and they quickly walked to the hut. Yuchan held open the door for them and they stepped into the building.

The small house was quaint on the inside. There was a simple rug taking up most of the front half of the room. A few trinkets sat about, scattered here and there. A tsungi horn was propped up against the wall. Four or five cushions formed a small circle around a little fireplace

There were six nomads in the room. When they saw Devion, Kialuk, and Chief Moi enter the hut, they stepped out of the way and shuffled out of the building, revealing a small kitchen with a few cabinets, an oven, and a stove. A bed sat just in front of the kitchen.

And on that bed was the stranger, but he looked in much better shape. His face was bandaged, the bruise on his neck was covered in poultice, and the burn on his chest was looking much more like a large, vicious scar rather than a serious burn. A cloth sling held his right arm across his chest.

The Air Nomads had taken off his shredded shirt, revealing the strong, toned muscles on the man's chest and stomach. His lower torso was covered in bruises and gashes there were all covered in the same poultice as was on his bruise. A white blanket covered the rest of the stranger's body. Devion wasn't sure what his legs looked like, but he assumed they weren't nearly as bad as the upper part of his body.

His head was leaning against a pillow, but his eyes were open under the bandage wrapped around his forehead. They were swollen, but not too seriously, so he could still see well. The man shifted in his bed and tilted his head towards Devion, Chief Moi, and Kialuk.

"You two boys are the ones who saved me, am I right?" he asked, his voice dry and tired.

Devion nodded and Kialuk said, "Yes."

The man smiled at them. "Thank you." His gaze turned to Chief Moi. "And you are the chief."

Chief Moi nodded slowly and took a few steps towards the man. "I hate to bother you, but we need to ask you some questions," he said quietly.

"I understand," replied the stranger.

Devion stepped up beside Chief Moi and Kialuk wandered around to the foot of the bed. "When we dragged you onto the beach, you said, 'They are coming. The Fire Nation,'" began Devion. "What did you mean by that?"

"Are Fire Nation soldiers on their way here?" Chief Moi, asked, his eyes glimmering nervously.

The stranger gulped. "Let me start from the beginning, and some of your questions will be answered by my story. Ask any more you feel the need to after."

"Go ahead," said Chief Moi.

The man breathed in and then began to speak softly. "I was born in the Southern Water Tribe, but my father died when I was three and we moved here. We moved to Kohana, one of the western islands. Once I was eighteen, I became a trader for some small merchant. For the past twelve years, I've worked my way up and now I own a small trading company with four boats and a warehouse in the southwestern Earth Kingdom.

"Or did, at least," he added with a sad tone. "Two nights ago, as my crew and I were returning from a trip to the town of Duankou in the Earth Kingdom, preparing to dock by no later than the next evening, we were attacked.

"At first we thought it was pirates and that we could easily fight them off. But as the boat attacking us grew more visible, it became obvious." His tone dropped from slightly sad to solemn with a single sentence. "The Fire Nation was raiding our boat."

"My men and I fought back hard, but their boat was four times as big as mine and there were twelve of us and probably fifty of them. They destroyed us and killed everyone. Then they proceeded to take all the goods from the ship and bring them to their boat. I wasn't dead, but I was conscious enough when I was lying in a pool of blood on the deck to see what was happening. They rammed the end of the boat with their huge, iron ship and then sailed off, joining four other ships on the horizon. Flames shot up from all five boats. It was a fleet of fire.

"My boat quickly sunk and I scrambled to cling onto a piece of driftwood," continued the man. "It was hard to keep holding on. I was in so much pain. I thought I would die.

"Somehow, the tide carried me into the bay and I remember striking pain as I struck rock after rock before coming to a rest and being dragged out of the water. The next thing I knew, I was lying in this bed, being treated by Air Nomads," concluded the stranger.

Devion blinked once, a mixture of anger and confusion building up in his chest. How could people be so evil to attack a trading ship for no reason other than to steal a small amount of goods from them? And now there were five ships filled with men just like that heading towards the Islands.

Chief Moi's nostrils flared angrily as he stared forward, his eyes narrowed in rage. This face lasted for several long moments, and then relaxed and he looked at the stranger. "I'm sorry for what happened to you and your crew," he said comfortingly. "But don't worry, because I will avenge their noble deaths and I will make sure we protect the rest of our people from these usurpers."

The stranger nodded in appreciation, but he looked a little choked up and didn't say anything.

"Are you sure they were Fire Nation?" asked Devion, just in case the man remembered something else that would just make them pirates.

"I would swear my life on it," he said. "They were wearing Fire Nation armor and came off of a Fire Nation boat."

"How many men do you think there are, in total?" asked Chief Moi.

The man was silent for a moment, thinking. "Probably somewhere around three hundred, in all of the ships combined. But they are great fighters, I'll tell you that. We only took down three or four of them, and I had a few talented waterbenders on the boat with me."

Concern flickered in Chief Moi's cloudy eyes. "We are strong. We will be able to handle them," he whispered, mostly to himself.

"How long do you think until they get here?" asked Kialuk, pacing around the bed.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they are already at one of the outer islands," the man answered. "Let's hope not, and if they aren't, then they'll be there within a day."

Chief Moi straightened his chest and then took a step towards the door. "Then we must hurry and ready the boats, because we'll be leaving for Kohana by sunrise." He nodded at the man lying on the bed. "Thank you for your help. I wish you a speedy recovery. Go to sleep, and sleep well and long. I'll send some of the nurses up here to get you later today."

The stranger settled back into his bed and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly.

"We must rouse the village," said Chief Moi to Devion and Kialuk as they stepped out of the hut. The sky was slowly getting lighter and Devion assumed they had about two or three hours before dawn.

The dozen Air Nomads stood outside the hut. Yuchan looked up at the trio walked out. "Did he talk?" he asked.

Devion, Kialuk, and Chief Moi all nodded. "He was very helpful," said Chief Moi. "I'll send a few healers up to get him around noon. But I must go prepare the warriors and anyone else who would like to come. The Fire Nation is advancing on us and we must hurry to the outer islands."

Yuchan gave a genuine look of surprise. "May the wind be at your back," he said, "and may peace prevail."

Chief Moi nodded and Devion and Kialuk followed him out of the clearing and back into the forest.

"Sir," Kialuk began, "did you know the Fire Nation was starting to reach out towards the tribe?"

"I'd been told of increased sightings of Fire Nation ships on the horizon," said Chief Moi. "I've always known how for the past half-millennium, the Fire Nation have been eating up the land, burning it to the ground and raising up their own factories for various purposes. The fact that they were getting closer to the tribe was unnerving. I should have done something, placed more troops out in the front. Kohana or one of the other islands could be gone by now."

"We need to move as fast as we can," said Devion. "The sooner we get there, the more quickly we can save it."

The chief nodded, but said nothing. They quickly reached Kiolu. About a dozen people still partying were out on the beach, moving around slowly and sluggishly as if they were sleep walking. Devion hid a smile. These people were exhausted and probably drunk, not to mention they had been up all night.

Chief Moi ignored them as he strode across the sand and into the town. A few guards sitting on stools just outside the plaza stood up at his attention.

"Ring the gong," he demanded. "Quickly now, everyone needs to be here."

With quick glances at each other, the two guards nodded and jogged off towards the flat rock that towered above the city. On that rock, a gong stood so that the current chieftain would be able to summon the citizens with three rings of the massive instrument.

Walking quickly through the streets, Devion, Chief Moi, and Kialuk reached the main square and Chief Moi stepped up onto the porch of the town hall so he could be elevated above the people that would gather in the plaza.

_''BOOM!''_

_''BOOM!''_

_''BOOM!''_

The sound was extremely loud, a hundred drums put together. The ringing of the gong would be heard by everyone for miles around and everyone in the bay would be awoken. Already, people in the houses closest to the town square were leaning out of their windows or ambling out of their doors. Everyone knew where they had to go, but no one had the slightest clue what was going on, except that it was very important.

In just five minutes, nearly a thousand people were crammed in the town square and many more were spilling out into the streets. Chief Moi stood stoically on the town hall porch, his hands folded behind his back as he looked out over the gathering crowd.

Five more minutes passed and Devion assumed almost the entire town was present in and around the town square, looking up at Chief Moi, Devion, and Kialuk with confused and curious eyes.

Once he was sure everyone was present, Chief Moi began.

"I gather you all today to share with you grave, unsettling news." His first words aroused whispers and murmurs throughout the citizens. "These two young men, Devion and Kialuk were down on the small southern beach when a man washed ashore earlier tonight.

"He was severely injured, but when they dragged him out of the water, he screamed, 'They are coming. The Fire Nation.'" His eyes staring straight at the crowd, Chief Moi stopped and let the words sink in.

Several people gasped and everyone started to whisper to each other at once. A sea of rippling heads and hushed voices filled the square before Chief Moi continued speaking.

"Thinking quickly, Devion and Kialuk carried the man up the cliff path from the beach and to the nearest people; the Air Nomads. Graciously, selflessly, and urgently, the airbenders took the stranger and immediately went to work patching up his wounds. Devion was sent down to get me, and the three of us waited for hours until the nomads told us the man was awake."

Everyone in the crowd was raptly listening, horrified and obsessed, ready to hear the rest of the story. Devion was glad the story was so captivating, because he did not like everyone watching him like this. When he was out surfing earlier the previous day, he had felt fine with all the spectators cheering him on. But now, being singled out of the whole town and standing up in front of them while doing nothing was strange and Devion felt very exposed.

"We entered the building where they were healing him," Chief Moi stated. "He was lying in bed, his wounds bandaged. Exhausted and pained, he started to tell us his story. The stranger was a sailor that moved to the islands from the Southern Water Tribe. He owned a small trading company and was returning from a trip to Duankou in the Earth Kingdom when they were attacked by a Fire Nation vessel.

"His whole crew was slaughtered but luckily he escaped to tell this story. This man was very helpful and informative, telling us there are five Fire Nation boats and a total of about three hundred experienced soldiers and firebenders. If they have not already arrived at one of the outer islands, then they will be there soon."

The citizens of Kiolu were silent, shocked. They didn't know what to think or say or do. Then a man in the back stood on top of a cart and shouted, "We need to go fight back the Fire Nation!"

Calls and yells of support arose from the scared crowd and Chief Moi raised his arms to chest level, signaling for them to quiet down. Slowly, they died down, but they glared forward with an intensity in their eyes.

"We will take five ships and depart at dawn for Palua. Anyone over the age of sixteen willing to come may pack a few things and meet us at the boats. We won't need more than three hundred people, so if you get there and it is crowded, turn around. To all of you who will not be able to accompany us, we need you here in case the Fire Nation attacks Kiolu. We need people to defend our town, and we will not fall!"

This was greeted by hearty applause from the residents of the Island Tribe capital and the men started to stream out of the square towards their homes. Devion looked over at Kialuk. They both nodded at each other and then ran down the steps and joined the throng of people moving out into the streets.

As they reached the spots where they'd go separate ways for their homes, Devion said, "Meet at the docks in no more than an hour."

Kialuk nodded. "I'll be there, ready to go fight the Fire Nation."


End file.
